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Reviews

Reviewer:sprousekowski
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June 23, 2013 Subject:
there is no accounting for taste

Music and art are the ultimate in subjectivity. We all should endeavor to stop comparing. This to that. the duality of mind is THE distraction. What I can't believe is that I was at this show and that it went down 21 years ago!And the thing I'm struck by is that it will never happen again. It felt eternal at the time,it really did,but sadly it is not,nor am I.While nothing is forever somethings are predictable with a fair degree of certainty. What great philosophical conundrum do I speak of? Why whether,or not Bobby will screw up Truckin',of course!
AS far as the show goes there are some massive flubs and mediocrity,but I think there are parts that are quite acceptable. I especially dig Garcia's summer 92' tone which I would describe as outrageously searing and pierces diamond like. Stagger Lee which is often butchered by the big guy here is played quite well. Big railroad Blues rocks as does Mobile/Memphis blues followed by an exacting New Speedway Boogie. Overall show gets three stars from me. I personally preferred the previous night. All in all I had a great time!

I really dont get people who bring up the fact that Jerry and the Dead played better in the earlier years. Really? You mean, because he was younger, not as strung out on heroin, or didnt have the pressure of performing for millions of fans, alot of which in the 90s, were a bunch of punk ass douche bags who thought they were cool because they tore down fences and said they worshipped Jerry Garcia? His songs affect me not because of how "great" a guitar player he was but because he was unbelievably skilled at conveying his own emotions about a song through the music he was playing. Whether or not he was playing "great" at the time. Some of the songs that are dearest to my heart come from old, scratchy, worn out, 5th gen cassette tapes that sound so bad that I coulnt tell you how well they were playing! I guess my point is that any song has the potential to be amazingly beautiful to somebody...regardless of when, where or how it was played. "Sometimes the songs that we hear are just songs of our own." This SMR happens to be my favorite.

You 70s people stay in the 70s you 80s people stay in the 80s but us 90s people are going to listen to it all and know that we were there in the end when it counted because at that point Jerry needed us as much as we needed him. Shame on you heads that gave up on him when he needed you and after all he gave.You know what fucccking pisses me off is he never wanted to be in the spotlight the way he was but he never let us down knowing that we all needed our fix. Great show great sound not as good as the night before but still a great performance and let me tell you a hellllllllllllll of a good time.

this so many roads isnt just good because garcia "goes off at the end". i dont think he fucked up the ballad at all. sure he plays some more technical guitar work in other versions, but in most of his playing in the 90's, he just sounds disconnected from the music, at least here it sounds like hes really trying and enjoying it.

My friend and I drove from Myrtle Beach, stopped off at RFK, then made it for the second night at Star Lake. I scored a ticket while my buddy hooked up with some friends. I'll never understand the fence jumpers; makes as much sense as Corrina. I just don't like that song. Personally I enjoyed Help>Slip>Franklin's. Also, the B.T. Wind is a personal favorite. No real highlights to this night. I don't think So Many Roads is the BEST EVER. 4 stars for sound quality; 3 stars for the show; 0 stars to the idiots jumping the fence.

My friend and I drove from Myrtle Beach, stopped off at RFK, then made it for the second night at Star Lake. I scored a ticket while my buddy hooked up with some friends. I'll never understand the fence jumpers; makes as much sense as Corrina. I just don't like that song. Personally I enjoyed Help>Slip>Franklin's. Also, the B.T. Wind is a personal favorite. No real highlights to this night. I don't think So Many Roads is the BEST EVER. 4 stars for sound quality; 3 stars for the show; 0 stars to the idiots jumping the fence.

Reviewer:squirt
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August 4, 2005 Subject:
so i was there too(also)

would y'all have rather been anywhere but there?as richard would always say,every time i saw him,this is the best show yet!!!get over it,think don't stink.no matter how or what it'll never be the same thing!that's what makes a grown man cry all night.just be grateful we had any of it!keep the faith.

Reviewer:squirt
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August 4, 2005 Subject:
so i was there too(also)

would y'all have rather been anywhere but there?as richard would always say,every time i saw him,this is the best show yet!!!get over it,think don't stink.no matter how or what it'll never be the same thing!that's what makes a grown man cry all night.just be grateful we had any of it!keep the faith.

Each person comes with a unique slant, unique preferences, unique biases and that's part of being human. When the spirit itself comes roaring through Jerry's vocal cords like a lion such that there IS no more Jerry, all that goes away. Nothing before it matters, nothing after. There is no longer such thing as time during those moments and they are beyond critique. From the 5:30 mark to the end of the song there is a crescendo which ultimately enters the cosmic realm.

Not afraid to say this is my favorite So Many Roads. If you like the song and you love Jerry, this will bring you close to tears.

I usually don't even listen to these later shows, as I find them downright painful, and I know for the younger listeners in the audience, this was their only exposure to the band live, and I don't really wish to trample on anyone's cherished memories. Having said that, what are you kids listening to? The "So Many Roads" finishes up amazingly well...depressingly well. It's one of the saddest songs they ever did. A cry for help? There simply isn't any joy left in the music. This show is played reasonably well, Weir gamely trying to fill the voids left by a creaky Garcia, but they're shadows of their former selves. It seems unfair to compare this to the "glory days" so I'll give it 3 for effort, and a decent song list, but I'm going back to the 60's and 70's, where I belong. Love the archives!

Yeh, this show does have its problems, but it certrainly has its highlites.

The solo in franklins after" the music play" pierced my ears. If you were there, you can remember it. This SBD sound nice, but it does not give the real feel of the show, although it does a decent job. I originally had the B and K 4011's aud. That is more to the real experience.

It had rained earlier this day. The dead came out and so did the sun. Staggerlee, great solo. Great 1st set, speedway boogie, nice memphis blues, Big RxR solo was also piercing. Nice BTW.

Decent 2nd set... So many roads is decent, but far from the best. Still worth the listen, hey I dl'd it. but not for the so many roads, more for the jerry solos in the 1st set..

Hey it was a great time anyway.

Shame that all those losers jumped the fence that night and the boys never made it back to *Lake again

tito, your a fucking idiot, this is one of the best so many roads without a doubt, the best?, no,because there is no best, but its a all around very good version he doesnt go off at the end to safe it the whole thing was good,i read a review where you talked shit about a standing being the best then claimed 6-7-91 had by far the best which is fuckin crazy, its good but i wouldnt even put it amongst the top, titos been to over 300 shows, ever seen one in the 70's tito ? even 80 81? nahh, check out the so many roads its very good people, dont listen to tito he talks shit on the majority of his reviews

People before me are saying that this is the best "so many roads"ever.NOT EVEN CLOSE.Sure,Jerry goes off at the end,and its fucking huge.But how many times has Garcia fucked up a ballad like SOTM,STELLA,DEW etc.then thinks he can make up for it by going off at the end.And people would fall for it evry time.Im a fan off the whole song,not just Jerry screaming like someone took his wake-up bag of Smack

remember the fireworks after this one and stagger volleyball (all the fucking ballons)on the lawn- at that moment it was very crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!! Solid show!!!

Reviewer:sbeattie67
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February 23, 2005 Subject:
Best So Many Roads

This is fact, not opinion :^) Best I've heard at least.... Pure emotion at the end. Get it for this if nothing else. The rest of the show is pretty average. The quality is good even with a cassette gen in there.

To make a long story short..........
Coming home from this show a friend and I got into a little trouble with the Penn state police.
June 23 is my fathers Birthday.My father had been there to bail me out before in the 80's.And honestly didnt care because he was a smoker as well.Having passed away in 1987 he obviously could not be there this time - or could he? For some unexplained reason (maybe the jail was full)they hauled us to the barracks and after about an hour of sitting there they just let us go!I hope you and Jerry are having a good ole' laugh Dad!
I could feel Dad at the show but relly didnt figure on him bailing me out again.
Thats my memorie of this show.......thanx for listening peas

I was front row jerry side for this show -- i had the tapes soon after the show, but they were destroyed from heat (kept them in my car). My fondest memory of the show was so many roads -- jerry just screaaaaammmssss at the end. The guitar work in the song is just exquisite. Gotta get!!

The first set closer New Speedway Boogie was an unforgettable experience for me. I can remember seeing many people on their knees bowing in praise of Jerry's vocals as he howled "one way or another - this darkness got to give" as the sun was setting in Western PA. Whooo Hooo!!!! Gives me chills ...